SUPPORT FOR COMMON CORE ACROSS CONNECTICUT

The Common Core State Standards provide our schools with clear, high and consistent expectations for what our children need to know to be able to succeed in college and compete for the jobs of tomorrow. ConnCAN supports these high standards, and we know they will ensure our students’ success is also high.

Our organization was among the many Common Core supporters who testified recently at an Education Committee public hearing in opposition to legislation that would potentially halt implementation of Common Core. In the wake of this hearing, there’s been an outpouring of support for Common Core across our state, from educators to business leaders, addressing the need for implementation of Common Core.

Among the many supporters, a recent op-ed appeared in the Hartford Courant by University of Connecticut professor Robert Thorson(“No Delay: Implement Common Core Standards” March 19, 2014) highlighting the need for implementation of these standards.

Professor Thorson highlights, “We’ve always had standards. And preparing for tests is part of the deal. What we need are higher standards to ensure that Connecticut isn’t left behind when other states move ahead, and that the United States can catch up to nations that took off years ago.”

We agree. Our state cannot afford to delay the implementation of Common Core. If passed, this proposed legislation halting Common Core would be a huge step backwards for Connecticut students, and further allow our children to shuffle through an education system that does not effectively support their learning needs.

Students who graduate from high schools across Connecticut are unprepared for college level work, putting them at an extreme disadvantage. Our students need to be better prepared, and these standards will do just that. Common Core, at its core, raises the bar for our students and our educators. The futures of our children cannot be put on hold, and neither can these standards.